Kent's October half term is 26 to 30 October, but four Dartford academies break on 16 October for a fortnight. Christmas, INSET days and eight schools compared.
There is no single set of school term dates in Dartford. Kent County Council publishes dates for the schools it maintains, but most of the borough’s secondary schools are academies or grammar schools that set their own, and this year they split three ways over the October half term. We checked the county’s dates and the published 2026/27 calendars of eight Dartford secondary schools on 25 September 2026.
The quick answer
- Kent’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and Christmas runs from Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 (Kent County Council).
- Four Leigh Academies Trust schools break a week earlier and for two weeks: Friday 16 October to Monday 2 November. They are Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy, Leigh Academy Wilmington, Leigh Academy Longfield and Ebbsfleet Academy.
- Dartford Grammar School also finishes on 16 October, while the girls’ grammar and both Wilmington grammars keep Kent’s week and then add INSET days, so their pupils are not back until 4 or 5 November.
Kent’s term dates for 2026/27
Kent runs a six-term year. These are the dates Kent County Council has set for its maintained schools, which include most community primaries. The council itself tells parents to check with their child’s school, because academies and independent schools can differ.
| Term | Starts | Ends | Holiday that follows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 | Mon 26 to Fri 30 October |
| Term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 | Mon 21 December to Fri 1 January |
| Term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 | Mon 15 to Fri 19 February |
| Term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 | Fri 26 March to Fri 9 April |
| Term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 | Mon 31 May to Fri 4 June |
| Term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 | Thu 22 July to Tue 31 August |
The bank holidays inside those breaks are Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December 2026 and Friday 1 January 2027; Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027; and Monday 3 May and Monday 31 May 2027. Kent also publishes the dates as a 2026/27 PDF and has already set the 2027/28 dates.
October half term, school by school
This is the date that catches most families out this year. The table shows each school’s last day before the break and the day pupils return.
| School | Last day of Term 1 | Pupils back | School days lost to the break |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council dates | Friday 23 October | Monday 2 November | 5 |
| Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy | Friday 16 October | Monday 2 November | 10 |
| Leigh Academy Wilmington | Friday 16 October | Monday 2 November | 10 |
| Leigh Academy Longfield | Friday 16 October | Monday 2 November | 10 |
| Ebbsfleet Academy | Friday 16 October | Monday 2 November | 10 |
| Dartford Grammar School | Friday 16 October | Monday 2 November | 10 |
| Dartford Grammar School for Girls | Friday 23 October | Wednesday 4 November | 7 |
| Wilmington Grammar School for Boys | Friday 23 October | Thursday 5 November | 8 |
| Wilmington Grammar School for Girls | Friday 23 October | Thursday 5 November | 8 |
Sources: Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy, Leigh Academy Wilmington, Leigh Academy Longfield, Ebbsfleet Academy, Dartford Grammar School, Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington Grammar School for Boys and Wilmington Grammar School for Girls.
What it means for you: a family with one child at a Leigh academy and another at a Kent-dates primary has two weeks of broken childcare, from 19 to 30 October, with only the week of 26 October shared. A family with a child at either Wilmington grammar has a pupil at home until Thursday 5 November, because the schools put three INSET days on the end of the half term.
Christmas: when each school breaks up
Christmas is simpler. Every school we checked, and Kent’s own dates, finishes on Friday 18 December 2026. The return is where they differ.
| School or group | Breaks up | Pupils back |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council dates | Friday 18 December | Monday 4 January |
| Four Leigh Academies Trust schools | Friday 18 December | Tuesday 5 January (Monday 4 January is an INSET day) |
| Dartford Grammar School | Friday 18 December | Monday 4 January |
| Dartford Grammar School for Girls | Friday 18 December | Monday 4 January |
| Wilmington Grammar Schools for Boys and Girls | Friday 18 December | Monday 4 January |
The rest of the Christmas fortnight, including bins and trains, is on our Dartford Christmas bin collections and Christmas trains and travel pages.
INSET and closure days still to come
These are the days a school is shut to pupils that a parent working to Kent’s dates would not expect. Dates in the past are left out.
- Dartford Grammar School: the school lists two student INSET days for the year, Friday 25 September 2026 and Wednesday 3 March 2027.
- Dartford Grammar School for Girls: a staff training day on Friday 9 October 2026, and Term 2 starts on Wednesday 4 November, so Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November are part of its holiday. After Easter it returns on Thursday 8 April 2027, not the Monday after.
- Wilmington Grammar Schools for Boys and Girls: INSET days on Monday 2, Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November 2026 and Monday 22 February 2027.
- Leigh Academies Trust schools: INSET days on Monday 4 January and Friday 12 February 2027, so Term 3 runs Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 11 February.
February, Easter and summer
The February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 everywhere we checked, though the Leigh academies add an INSET day before it, on Friday 12 February, and the Wilmington grammars add one after it, on Monday 22 February. Easter is Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 under Kent’s dates and at the Leigh academies; Dartford Grammar School for Girls goes back two days early, on Thursday 8 April.
The summer term is where the grammars finish early. Dartford Grammar School and Dartford Grammar School for Girls both finish on Friday 16 July 2027. Kent’s dates, the Wilmington grammars and the Leigh academies run to Wednesday 21 July 2027.
Primary schools and independents
Primary schools set their own dates if they are academies, and many in the borough are. The quickest check is your child’s school website or Kent’s school search, which links to each school. We have not listed primaries here because there are too many to verify one by one; if your school’s dates differ from Kent’s and you would like them added, tell us.
What is still to be confirmed
- 2027/28 school calendars. Kent has set its 2027/28 dates. The Leigh Academies Trust has published its own, which start with a Friday 3 September 2027 return and an October break from 18 to 29 October 2027. The grammar schools had not published theirs when we checked. We will add them when they do.
- Changes during the year. Schools can move INSET days. We will recheck every calendar on this page before Christmas.
How the borough’s schools did at their latest inspections: Dartford schools’ Ofsted report cards.
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